Compressed air energy storage

Abstract

Certain examples present an improved compressed-air energy storage system. The system can include multiple sequential stages, in which accumulators are charged with air, which influences a hydraulic fluid to influence a pump/motor, and vice versa.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus, comprising:
 a vessel defining at least one vessel port extending from an interior of the vessel to an exterior of the vessel; 
 a moveable partition disposed in the vessel and sealed around the vessel port, partitioning a vessel interior into a vessel port side and a mandrel side; 
 a mandrel disposed in the vessel in the mandrel side of the interior of the vessel and defining at least one mandrel port extending from the interior of the vessel to an exterior of the, wherein the moveable partition is configured to flex against the mandrel; and 
 cooling channels disposed through the mandrel, sealed from the interior of the vessel. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the movable partition comprises a piston slideable in a corresponding accumulator. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the piston includes a frustoconical piston, and the accumulator includes a frustoconical recess sized and shaped to dispose a gap between the accumulator and the piston. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the movable partition comprises a flexible diaphragm fixed to the accumulator. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one movable partition comprises a frustoconical piston slideable in a corresponding accumulator and the corresponding accumulator includes a frustoconical recess sized and shaped to conform to the frustoconical piston to receive the piston. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel is one of a plurality of vessels, each including a corresponding mandrel, with at least two vessels sharing a common dividing wall. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus, comprising:
 a shell defining a plurality of interior volumes, with a respective hydraulic port extending from a respective interior of the volume to a respective exterior of the shell, and a respective pneumatic port extending from the respective interior of the volume to the respective exterior of the shell, wherein the plurality of volumes are divided by at least one common dividing wall including a fluid cooling port disposed through the at least one common dividing wall; and 
 a respective moveable partition disposed in each of the volumes, with each moveable partition sealed around a respective hydraulic port , partitioning the respective volume interior into a respective hydraulic port side and a respective pneumatic port side, wherein a plurality of hydraulic ports are in fluid communication, configured to commute a pressure on one side of the common dividing wall to an opposite side of the common dividing wall. 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of volumes are hexagonal in cross-section, interlocking with one another in a honeycomb configuration. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein at least one moveable partition includes a bladder. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein shell has a top and a bottom opposite the top, with the at least one common dividing wall extending between the top and the bottom, and wherein a hydraulic port is disposed through the bottom of the shell and is in fluid communication with an interior of the bladder at a bottom portion of the bladder, with a top portion of the bladder coupled to the top of the shell, wherein the respective pneumatic port in fluid communication with an exterior of the bladder is one of a plurality of ports in fluid communication with one another. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein a plurality of hydraulic ports are in fluid communication via a manifold.